Pubdate: Tue, 27 Aug 2013
Source: Fort McMurray Today (CN AB)
Copyright: 2013 Fort McMurray Today
Contact: http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/letters
Website: http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1012
Author: Johnna Ruocco

TRUDEAU TAKES A HIT FOR HIGHER GROUND

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's father said it best: "The state has 
no business in the bedrooms of the nation."

Too right he was. And that holds true for politicians as well.

What a politician does in their spare time or in their own home 
doesn't concern me, as long as it's not illegal and not hurting 
anybody. And I don't consider a couple of tokes off of a marijuana 
joint to be illegal.

Justin Trudeau publically admitted to smoking marijuana five or six 
times since he was 18, with the most recent occurrence in 2010 while 
he was an MP ( although he was at his home and not in an official 
capacity during the "transgression".

Trudeau was out of the country on several of these occasions, which 
is definitely of no concern to the Canadians. No doubt that this was 
no accidental admittance, but a planned publicity stunt. It sure 
makes him seem more human and connectable than Prime Minister Stephen 
Harper with his nose high in the air, blacklisting a man for smoking 
a handful of times.

Why does any of this matter? Who really cares? Is this really an 
issue that is relevant to anyone's vote in the 2015 election?

It comes as no surprise the Conservatives have latched onto this non- 
issue, as they have so many else. It's especially predictable in this 
time of trouble and scandal for the reigning party. Isn't that the 
Conservative motto - Why answer questions when you can deflect?

The political scene on the federal level just gets more and more 
ridiculous. It's no wonder voter apathy is so high when this is what 
makes the nightly news.

Here's an idea: Let's discuss issues that matter to Canadians. Yes, 
decriminalization and/ or legalization of marijuana are issues to 
discuss, but not the drug use history of a party leader with a couple 
of indiscretions under his belt.

Sadly, the Conservative party will use this ridiculous story as 
evidence that Trudeau is not fit to lead a country. It's likely it 
will pop up in an attack ad at some point down the line. Yet it is 
doubtful that Trudeau will lose any votes because of this. Anyone who 
would not vote for him for his minor use of marijuana was most likely 
never going to vote for him anyways.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom